Double shaft arrow



Jan. 4, 1966 F. ELLENBURG 3,227,454

DOUBLE SHAFT ARROW Filed June 5, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. HOWARDF ELLENBURG Jan. 4, 1966 F. ELLENBURG 3,227,454

DOUBLE SHAFT ARROW Filed June 5. 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. HOWARDF ELLENBURG United States Patent 3,227,454 DOUBLE SHAFT ARROW Howard F.Ellenburg, Rte. 3, Columbus 31, Nebr. Filed June 5, 1963, Ser. No.285,624 2 Claims. (Cl. 273-106.5)

This application is a continuation-in-part of the copending applicationSerial No. 165,122, filed January 9, 1962, and titled Double ShaftArrow, now abandoned.

This invention relates to hunting and fishing arrows of the retrievabletype, and more particularly it is an object of this invention to providean arrow which will shoot straight because its retrieving line isattached to its rearward end during flight, the arrow being constructedin a new way so as to be safe to use.

Heretofore when lines have been attached to the rearward ends of arrowsbefore the arrow is released, there has been a serious danger lest theline carried forward toward the bow handle at top speed catch around afinger of the archer tearing off the skin, or causing even more seriousinjury.

It is a particular object of this invention, therefore, to provide anarrow so constructed that the retrieving line is connected to the arrowat its forward end. at a time before and during release of the arrow,the line-to-arrow connection sliding rearwardly along the arrow to afixed position at the rearward end of the arrow only after the arrow issafely in full flight.

A further object is to provide an arrow as described which is accuratedue to the provision on the arrow of at least one side of the arrowhaving its outer surfaces without a substantial protrusion whereby whenthat side of the arrow is disposed against the side of a bow duringshooting, the arrow will not be substantially deflected off the courseby any portion of the arrow which might otherwise protrude substantiallybeyond such one side surface and cause a deflection by striking the bowduring arrow release.

Still another object is toprovide an arrow particularly adapted forfishing, being adapted to move through the water more swiftly than.arrows of the prior art, as is important because water resistance isvastly greater than air resistance.

A particular object is to achieve a high speed water arrow having asmall total cross-sectional area for greater penetration. Theachievement of a small cross-sectional area is made possible incombination with the safety feature above' described due to a uniquedesign embodying two parallel shafts serving as a .trackway of minimumcross-sectional area, whereby a track follower is defined by a loop of aretrieving line extending about one of the shafts.

A still further object is to provide an economic retrieving arrowcombination as described with both safety features and accuracyfeatures.

A particular object is to provide an arrow partially achieving its highwater penetration because of great strength per unit of cross-sectionalsize and partly through manufacture of the arrow from metal, preferablyspring steel.

A particular object is to provide a bow string notch in an arrow ofminimum cross section for encountering the least water resistance forgreatest depth of penetration inasmuch as single shaft arrows of theprior art which are wide enough .to accommodate an adequate bow stringnotch necessarily have larger diameter and greater cross section.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention willbe apparent from the following detailed description, drawings andclaims, the scope of the invention not being limited to the drawingsthemselves as the drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating away Patented Jan. 4, 1966 in which the principles of this invention orequivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made asdesired by those skilled in the art without departing from the presentinvention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a bow with an arrow of thisinvention in shooting position thereon, and with the arrow connected bya line to a reel on the bow.

FIGURE 2 is a view showing the point or head of the arrow shown inFIGURE 1, with the arrow shown on an enlarged scale and with the lowerpart of the arrow broken away; and this view also shows a retrievingline attachedto the arrow at a point spaced from the head.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the arrow, with the intermediate portionthereof broken away, illustrating the connections of the spaced shafts,and also showing a line attached to the shafts, the parts also beingshown on an enlarged scale.

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of the arrow, positioned as shown inFIGURE 1, and with the retrieving line extended from the trailing end.

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the rearward end of a modification of thearrow of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 6 is a side elevational view of the arrow of FIGURE 5 as seenfrom the right hand side.

FIGURE 7 is a plan view of the rearward end of a still furthermodification of the arrow of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 8 is a side elevational view of the arrow of FIGURE 7 as seenfrom the right hand side thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, and in the following specification, thesame referencecharacter-s are used to designate the same parts andelements throughout, and in which the numeral 10 refers to the inventionin its entirety, numerals 12 and 14 indicating shafts of an arrow 16,numeral 18 indicating a point, numeral 20 indicating a retrieving line,numeral 22 a reel, and numeral 24 indicating a bow.

The shafts 12 and 14 are preferably formed of metal and still morepreferably of stainless steel so that they have a high density and greatstrength per cross-sectional area so that the cross-sectional area ofthe arrow can be kept at a minimum for providing an arrow having otherfeatures herein described so that the minimum cross section willencounter a minimum of water resistance providing high penetration atgreat water depth.

The trailing ends of the shafts, which are inclined outwardly, aresecured together and in spaced relation by a weld 26, and the oppositeor leading ends which are secured to the point 18 by brazing at thepoints 28 and 30, are provided with inwardly inclined sections 32 and34, and inner surfaces of the sections 32 and 34 are flat to receive thepoint 18.

The head or point 18. is provided with inclined edges 36 and 38whichextend from the tip 4-0 to points 42 and 4'4, and from the points 42 and44' the trailing end' of the point extends forwardly and inwardly onlines 46 and 48 to a point 50' between the shafts.

The line 20 is provided with a loop assembly or track follower 52- thatreceives both of the shafts and extends around at least one of theshafts, and in the retracted position the line is wrapped around thereel 22 rotatably mounted in a bracket 54 on the bow by a pin 56 andactuated by a handle or crank 58. The loop assembly 52 on the extendedend of the line 20 is freely attached to the shafts 12 and 14, and withthe arrow in the cocked position the loop assembly 52 is adjacent thehead or point, as shown in FIG. 1, whereas as soon as the arrow isreleased the loop assembly slides to the opposite end or rear of thearrow, as shown in FIGURE 4.

It will be seen that the double shafts 12 and 14 together with the spacetherebetween provide a trackway or trackway means and that the loopassembly 52 of the retrieving line provides a track follower. The spacebetween the shafts 12 and 14 is open from a point at the forward end ofthe arrow preferably immediately behind the head thereof rearwardlyentirely to the weld 26. The weld 26 will be seen to provide a limit orlimit means on a rearward portion of the arrow for limiting movement ofthe track follower 52, whereby the arrow can be shot at a time when thefollower or loop assembly 52 is in a portion of the trackway defined byshafts 12 and 14 and by the space therebetween, which portion isdisposed far forwardly of the limit means or weld 26.

The modification of FIGURE has its sides and 102 exactly straight. Themodification of FIGURE 7 has its sides 104 and 106 composed of twoportions: major portions 110 and 112 forming substantially the entirelength of the arrow rearwardly to a limit means or connection of thearrow disposed at the rearward end thereof and interconnecting theshafts 12" and 14"; and sides 104 and 106 further having rearward endportions and 132 defining a bow string notch 134 therebetween, with theside portions 110 and 130 separated by a recess and with the sideportions 112 and 132 separated by a recess 162.

The modification of FIGURE 5 also has a bow string notch disposedbetween shafts or shaft portions 12' and 14 rearwardly of the limitmeans or weld 26.

It will be seen that if the arrow of FIGURE 3 were turned so that itssubstantially planar point or head 18 was disposed horizontally, thenduring shooting, the outer projecting portion 64 or 66 of the arrowwould strike either that portion of the operators hand which is beingused as an arrow rest or would strike an arrow rest if the bow is of atype having an arrow rest, in either case causing an undesirabledeflection of the arrow during arrow release. For that reason, thearrows of FIG- URES 5 and 7 can be further defined as having top andbottom sides and 182, respectively, for the arrow of FIGURE 5, and and192, respectively, for the arrow of FIGURE 7, which top and bottom sidesare definable similarly to the sides 100, 102, 104, and 106,respectively, as regards the above described shape for preventingdiversion.

It will be seen that at least one side of the arrow must have those ofits outer surfaces which project the farthest to the one side of anarrow not projecting to such side of the arrow enough for causingsubstantial deflection of the arrow, whereby when such one side of thearrow is disposed against the side of a bow, the arrow will not besubstantially deflected off the course by any portion of the arrow whichmight otherwise protrude sufliciently beyond said one side to causesubstantial deflection of the arrow by striking the bow during arrowrelease.

It will be seen that the arrow modification of FIGURE 3 will not shootin all positions with as great an accuracy as the modifications ofFIGURES 5 and 7 because in FIGURE 3 the rearwardmost ends 64 and 66 ofthe arrow diverge outwardly whereby the projecting ends 64 or 66 willtend to engage the side of a bow during shooting causing the arrow to bedeflected off course by striking the bow during arrow release.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that anarrow assembly constructed in accordance with my invention isparticularly well adapted for use, by reason of the convenience andfacility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will alsobe obvious that my invention can be changed and modified withoutdeparting from the principles and spirit thereof, and for this reason, Ido not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precisearrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carryingout my invention in practice, except as claimed.

I claim:

1. An arrow providing longitudinal trackway means thereon, said trackwaymeans being adapted to receive a track follower engaged with saidtrackway and attached to said arrow for the movement of said trackfollower only longitudinally of said arrow, limit means on the rearwardportion of said arrow for limiting movement of said follower rearwardlywith respect to said arrow, said trackway means extending from a portionof the arrow far enough forwardly from said limit means as to bedisposed on the forward side of a bow handle at times when the arrow isin a drawn position immediately before release, whereby said arrow canbe shot at a time when said follower is in a portion of said trackwayforwardly of said limit means and will travel rearwardly to said limitmeans upon release of said arrow, said arrow having a bow stringreceiving notch in its rearward end, the majority of the length of saidarrow being formed of multiple shafts at least two of which are spacedapart for defining the said trackway means, the said limit means beingdefined by a connection between said two shafts at the rearward end ofthe arrow, means interconnecting the forward ends of said shafts, meansattached to the forward end of said arrow and defining a point, at leastone side of said arrow having those of its outer surfaces which projectthe farthest to the said one side of said arrow not projecting to saidone side of said arrow enough for causing substantial deflection of saidarrow whereby when said one side of said arrow is disposed against theside of a bow said arrow will not be substantially deflected off courseby any portion of the arrow which might otherwise protrude suflicientlybeyond said one side to cause substantial deflection of the arrow bystriking the bow during arrow release.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which said arrow is formed of metal forproviding strength with a minimum of cross-sectional area to encounterminimum water resistance for maximum water depth penetration.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 71,763 12/1867Kelley. 433,674 8/ 1890 DArcy-Irvine. 1,328,967 1/1920 Reaben 273106.51,554,653 9/1925 Poole 273--106.5

FOREIGN PATENTS 883,289 3/1943 France.

References Cited by the Applicant UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,938,514 5/1960 Berg.

FOREIGN PATENTS 883,289 3/1943 France.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

DELBERT B. LOWE, Examiner.

1. AN ARROW PROVIDING LONGITUDINAL TRACKWAY MEANS THEREON, SAID TRACKWAYMEANS BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A TRACK FOLLOWER ENGAGED WITH SAIDTRACKWAY AND ATTACHED TO SAID ARROW FOR THE MOVEMENT OF SAID TRACKFOLLOWER ONLY LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID ARROW, LIMIT MEANS ON THE REARWARDPORTION OF SAID ARROW FOR LIMITING MOVEMENT OF SAID FOLLOWER REARWARDLYWITH RESPECT TO SAID ARROW, SAID TRACKWAY MEANS EXTENDING FROM A PORTIONOF THE ARROW FAR ENOUGH FORWARDLY FROM SAID LIMIT MEANS AS TO BEDISPOSED ON THE FORWARDLY SIDE OF A BOW HANDLE AT TIMES WHEN THE ARROWIS IN A DRAWN POSITION IMMEDIATELY BEFORE RELEASE, WHEREBY SAID ARROWCAN BE SHOT AT A TIME WHEN SAID FOLLOWER IS IN A PORTION OF SAIDTRACKWAY FORWARDLY OF SAID LIMIT MEANS AND WILL TRAVEL REARWARDLY TOSAID LIMIT MEANS UPON RELEASE OF SAID ARROW, SAID ARROW HAVING A BOWSTRING RECEIVING NOTCH IN ITS REARWARD END, THE MAJORITY OF THE LENGTHOF SAID ARROW BEING FORMED OF MULTIPLE SHAFTS AT LEAST TWO OF WHICH ARESPACED APART FOR DEFINING THE SAID TRACKWAY MEANS, THE SAID LIMIT MEANSBEING DEFINED BY A CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID TWO SHAFTS AT THE REARWARDEND OF THE ARROW, MEANS INTERCONNECTING THE FORWARD ENDS OF SAID SHAFTS,MEANS ATTACHED TO THE FORWARD END OF SAID ARROW AND DEFINING A POINT, ATLEAST ONE SIDE OF SAID ARROW HAVING THOSE OF ITS OUTER SURFACES WHICHPROJECT THE FARTHEST TO THE SAID ONE SIDE OF SAID ARROW